Machine for coating wooden pipe.



E. c. PITCHER.

MACHINE FOR COATING WOODEN PIPE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. 1914.

1 21,91, Patented. Oct. 17,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WIT N58858:

E. c. PITCHER.

MACHINE FOR COATING WO0DEN P|PE. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 23. I9I4'.

1,291,981. Patented 001. 17,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I A TTOR/VEV E. c. PITCIIER.

MACHINE FOR COATING WOODEN PIPE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV 23. IBM. 1,201.91. Patented 001. 17,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

m: Nmmls PEYERS cow, mom-1.1mm, WASHING mu. m. c.

ELMEB, C. PITCHER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE FOR COATING WOODEN PIPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Application filed November 23, 1914. I Serial No. 873,657.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER C. PrroHnR, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, (whose post-oflice address is Fifth and Bryant streets,) have invented a Machine for Coating Wooden Pipe, of which the following is a specification.

Among the objects of this invention are to provide a machine adapted to roll a length of wooden pipe in sawdust, after the pipe has been previously coated with an adhesive; to provide means for automatically rolling the pipe back and forth over a bank of saw dust, whereby the sawdust is embedded in the adhesive covering the pipe; to provide means for automatically releasing the pipe after it has been rolled a predetermined time.

Other objects and advantages will appea as the description progresses.

In the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification, to which like reference characters have been applied a simple form of putting this invention into practice is shown. I do not wish to be understood as confining this invention to the disclosures made in said drawing and description as many variations. may be introduced, within the spirit of this invention as defined in the claims succeeding the said description.

The wooden pipe to be treated in this machine is built up of wooden strips forming the segment of a circle in cross section; the segmental strips being laid together in a form and wrapped with a length of wire wound spirally thereon under tension and secured at each end to the pipe; the length of pipe thus formed is shouldered down at one end to form a nipple, adapted to engage the internally bored end of the adjoining length of pipe, to form a continuous conduit; to protect the pipe from the elements it is preferably coated with a compound of asphaltum, tar, or like substances. It is desirable to get this coating on as thickly as possible, to seal the pores of the wood, and render the pipe impervious to moisture, and attacks from insects and other deleterious agencies, If the coating is applied sufficiently thick to accomplish its function, practice has proven that under the influence of atmosphericheat the coating will run and drip from the pipe and be otherwise lost. It has been discovered that rolling pipe in sawdust while the coating is still plastic, will eliminate all the objectionable features of a heavy coating'while preserving its advantages, giving to the pipe a non-adhesive surface, facilitating the handling of the pipe and curing the tendency to stick together when piled up, and the danger of chipping off the coating if the sawdust is not present.

Various expedients for coating the pipe with sawdust have been resorted to. I have discovered however, that the pipe must be rolled in the sawdust for a considerable period, to insure the accumulation of the proper amount of sawdust, and to insure the coat mg of the entire surface of the pipe.

Enough sawdust must be accumulated to.

take up the surplus coating on the pipe to prevent its running, under the influence of heat, and to form a plastic cushion around the pipe to prevent the coating from chips ping or scaling off after it has dried hard.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pipe rolling machine constructed and arranged in accordance with this invention; certain parts being broken away to disclose underlying structures. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same from above. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail of the adjustable trunnion mechanism for engaging the ends of the pipe during the rolling process. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail of a latch mechanism for locking and releasing the trunnion arms from the elevated position.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawings includesthe tar vat 1, in which the length of pipe X is submerged, giving it a coating inside and out with the tar mixture. In Fig. lthe carriage is shown on the return trip with the trunnion arms latched in the elevated position. The carriage rolls forward until the trunnions assume the position illustrated in dottedlines, at the apex of the incline 2; at this point, the pipe having been rolled in the vat is lifted to a position between the trunnions 3-3, that are pulled apart by the handles 3 -3 and the trunnions slipped into the ends of the pipe. These trunnionsare journaled in the ends 4 of the trunnion arms and form the journals for the pipe, that is rolled by its own traction over the bed of sawdust 5. The trunnion arms 66 are hinged at 77 to the frames 8-8, that are pivoted on the shaft 9 by the boxes 10. The arms 6 are held in the closed position by the springs 11 attached to the frame work 8 and the arms. The trunnions 3-?! being held in engagement with the ends of the pipe by the tension of the springs 11, the trunnions being provided with the flanges 12 abutting the ends of the pipe. The frames 88 are adjustable on the shaft 9 that is rotatable in the boxes 13, 14 and 15 mounted upon the traveling carriage. The boxes of one frameare slidable laterally, and held in the desired position by the set screws 16 threaded in the boxes and engaging the shaft. The opposite end of the shaft is threaded as shown in Fig. 3, to engage the threaded boxes 10. The shaft9 is rotated by the hand wheel 18 fixed thereon, the rotation of the shaft causing the threaded boxes 10 to travel longitudinally on the shaft, to cause a lateral adjustment of the frame 8, to which they are attached.

To adjust the frames for the various lengths of pipe, the sliding frame 8 isslid to the desired position on the shaft 9 and locked by the set screws 16, the hand wheel 18 is then rotated until the opposite arms engage the end of the pipe; the frames and arms remain in this adjustment as long as that particular length of pipe is handled by the machine.

The carriage includes two end trucks 19 by the angle iron 28 extending across the machine above the truck. This angle iron is engaged by the notches 2929 on thesupports 30, pivoted at 31 to the trunnion arms, to latch the latter in the suspended position.

The truck is reciprocated by the sprocket chain 32 having its opposite ends attached to the adjacent truck; to insure exact transversealinement the sprocket chain is duplicated on opposite sides of the machine. The sprocket chain runs over the idlers 33 and 34 journaled on the studs-35 and 36, in opposite ends of the stringer 22; the loop of the chain being carried overhead to engage the driving sprockets 3737, fixed upon opposite ends of the driving shaft 38, mounted in bearing suspended from the overhead beam 39. This shaft 38 is driven by the pulley 39 fixed thereon, between the idlers 40 and 41. The straight drive and reverse drive belts 42 and 43 are driven by the drum 44, mounted upon the shaft 44 geared to aprime-mover. The direction of rotation of the shaft 38 is accomplished by alternatingly switching the belts 42 and 43 onto the driving pulley 39 fixed on the shaft. When not driving the belts 42 and 43 run idle on their respective idle pulleys 40 and 41. These belts are shifted by the frame 45 slidgaging the frame 45 at 51.

ablein an overhead framework adjacent to the shaft carrying the shifting fingers 4-5 46 and 47 controlling the respective belts. The frame 45 is operated by the triangular frame 48 pivoted at 49 on the overhead cross beam 50 of the superstructure, slidably en- The extension 52 of the triangular frame engages the bar 53, pivoted at 54, 55 and 56, to the belt shifters 57, 58 and 59, respectively pivoted at 60,61 and 62 to the overhead beam 39 of the superstructure. The bumper 63 is fixed on the upright 27 in the path of the shifters 57, 58 and 59.

Referring to Fig. 1, the carriage travels to the right until the bumper 63 strikes the shifter 57; this carries the bar 53 forward, moving the lever 52, that in turn slides the shifter frame 44,, see Fig. 2, shifting the belt 42 onto the idler 40, simultaneously shifting the reversed belt 43 from the idler 41 onto the driving pulley 39; this'reverses the rotation of the driving sprocket 37,

causing the sprocket chain 32 to pull the carriage in the reverse direction, until the bumper 63 strikes the shifter 58, which reverses the action of shifting the belt thus described, causing the carriage to again travel forward. This operation continuing until stoppedby the operator in the position previously described and shown in the drawings in dotted lines Fig. 1, with the trunnions at the apex of the incline 2, at which point the trunnions are slipped into the ends of the pipe, as previously de scribed. lVith the length of pipe clamped between the flanges 12, rolling freely on the trunnions journaled in the ends ofthe frame 6, the shifter 57 is pulled forward by the operator; this throws the reverse belt 43 onto the driving pulley 59, causing the carriage to roll backward from the vat 1. Simultaneously with the shifting of the belt, the operator pulls on the cord 64 attached to the arms 65 fixed to the board 66 pivoted at 67, which causes the board 66 to lift the notches 29 out of engagement with the angle iron 28, see Fig. 4; disengaging the supporting rods 30 permitting the trunnions to drop until the pipe rests upon the surface of the sawdust 5. In this pos1t10n the carriage automatleally travels backward and forward, the bumpers 63 engaging the belt shifters 57 and 58 alter- V nately, to reverse the movement of the carriage as described. During this operation the length of pipe is resting upon the sawdust with its own weight, plus the weight of the trunnion arms, and the proportionate weight of the frames 8, to which they are I hinged; the combined weight being sufficient to cause the sawdust to become em-,

bedded deeply in the plastic adhesive coating on the pipe. The buffer springs 68 mounted on opposite sides of the main frame engage and are compressed by the carriage during the interval that the bumper 63 engages the belt shifter 57, to change the direction of the carriage. This buffer mechanism is duplicated at 69, by slmllar springs mounted upon the arms hinged at 71 to the main frame. These buffers during compression overcome the inertia of the carriage, and exert their accumulated tension in starting the carriage in the reverse direction, when the driving belts alternately take effect to reverse the travel of the carriage. These buffers are not essential to the operation of the machine, but tend to relieve a great deal of the wear and tear on the driving mechanism and other parts incidental to the stopping and reversing of a considerable weight under motion, represented by the carriage and associated parts.

The pipe having been rolled backward and forward a sufficient number of times, to give it the proper coating of sawdust, as evidenced by the observation of the operator, he pulls the cord 72 passing over the pulley 73, and having a branch 74 attached thereto at 75 and passing over the lateral pulley 76, attached to a fixed point at one side of the machine. The pull on this cord 72 lifts the bumpers 69 above the plane of the carriage, while the branch 74 springs the shifter 58 to one side out of the path. of

the bumper 63, the carriage continuing to, travel rearward until the bumper 63 engages the belt shifter 59 causing a reverse movement of the carriage, the buffer 77 performing the same function as the buffers 68 and 69. The added travel of the carriage rearward has caused the length of pipe to roll up the incline 78 to the apex 79, of the skids 8080. This elevation of the trunnions brings the ends of the trips 8181 into abutment with the cross beam 82, secured to the main frame. The trips 81-81 are guided in the frames 8 and pivotally attached at 83 to the trunnion frames 6. The abutment of the trips swings the trunnion frames on their hinges 7 separating the trunnions from the ends of the pipe, that is then free to roll down the incline 84, beyond the path of operation of the carriage, from which the completed pipe is removed.

The tar in the vat 1 is kept in fluid state by the application of heat or other means in accord with the nature of the preparation. The surface of the sawdust is occasionally raked and kept at a substantially even plane for obvious reasons.

The invention is shown and described in its simplest form; as originally produced. I do not wish however to be limited to the particular means for driving and reversing the carriage; nor the means for dipping or coating the pipe; nor the particular means for operating the trunnion arms. There is an'extended range of equivalent means for accomplishing these various results.

The primary advantages of this invention include a simple means for engaging the ends of the pipe and rolling'it by its own traction across the surface of a bank of sawdust; then automatically releasing thepipe permitting it to roll ,bygravity from the machine.

Therefore what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pipe rolling machine including a traveling carriage; arms on said carriage; automatic means for changing the direction of movement of said carriage, trunnions on said arms; and means for detachably engaging said trunnions with the ends of the pipe.

A pipe rolling machine including a traveling carriage; automatic direction changing means for said carriage, means for detachably attaching a pipe to said carriage whereby said pipe is rolled across a surface by its own traction, for-the purpose specified.

3. A pipe rolling machine including a traveling carriage; means on said carriage adapted to engage a length of pipe having an adhesive surface; and a platform for supporting a bed of coating material in tractive contact with the said pipe.

4. A pipe rolling machine including a traveling carriage; trunnions on said carriage adapted to engage a length of pipe having an adhesive surface; a platform for supporting a bed of coating material in tractive contact with said pipe; and means for disengaging said pipe from said carriage.

5. A pipe rolling machine including a traveling carriage; trunnions on said carriage adapted to engage a' length of pipe having an adhesive surface; a platform for supporting a bed of coating material in tractive contact with the said pipe; means for reciprocating said carriage, and means for automatically disengaging said trunnions from said pipe.

6. A pipe rolling machine including a main frame having a runway thereon; a carriage mounted on said runway; means for automatically reciprocating said carriage; means for rotatably engaging a length of pipe having an adhesive surface; a platform for supporting a bed of coating material in tractive contact with said pipe; and means for automatically detaching said pipe from said carriage.

7. A pipe rolling machine including a main frame having a runway thereon; a carriage mounted on said runway; means for driving said carriage; shifting means at both ends of said runway for automatically reversing the travel of said carriage; means for rotatably engaging a length of pipe having an adhesive surface; a platform for supporting a bed of coating material in tractive contact with said pipe; means for prolonging the travel of said carriage at one end of the runway whereby the pipe is automatically detached from the carriage.

8. A pipe rolling machine including side frames having runways thereon; a traveling carriage having end trucks on said runways; trunnion arms mounted on said carriage and -having a lateral adjustment; trunnions on said arms rotatably engaging the ends of length of pipe; a coating surface in tractive contact with said pipe; an elevated skid adjacent to said coating surface; means for driving said carriage; and means for releasing said pipe at the top of said skid; and a latch on said armsengaging said carriage at the time the said pipe is released.

9. A pipe rolling machine including side runways; a traveling carriage having end trucks on said runways; arms adjustably fixed on said carriage; reversible driving means engaging said carriage; shifters at opposite ends of said runway alternately operated by said carriage; spreaders on said carriage engaging said adjustable arms; a

Copies of this patent may be obtained for stop at the end of said runway in the path of said spreaders, whereby saidspreaders are caused to separate said arms. 1

10. A pipe rolling machine including side runways; a carriage traveling on said runway; trunnions on said carriage adapted to rotatably engage a length of pipe; reversible driving means engaging said carriage; shifters at opposite ends of said runway alternately operated by said carriage; Spreaders on said carriage connected with said trunnions; a stop at the end of said runways in the path of said spreaders; a vat adjacent to one end of said runway; an elevated skid between the ends of said runway; a latch connected with said trunnions, and engaging said carriage when said trunnions are elevated by said skid.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of October 1914:-

ELMER C. PITCHER.

WVitnesses:

BALDWIN VALE, W. W'. HEALEY.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

